


The Meaning of Mercy

by Artemis1000



Series: Snapshots - Prompt fic [14]
Category: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Hate to Love, Mild Blood, Nonnies Made Me Do It, Post-Canon, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-20 12:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14894922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis1000/pseuds/Artemis1000
Summary: One day, Enfys will kill her - unless Qi'ra kills her first. Today is not this day. Today, they are both weakened by sentiment.





	The Meaning of Mercy

**Author's Note:**

> Written for "100 words of unexpected mercy" prompt. As usual, it turned out a little longer.

Qi’ra may be on her knees, her own glowing blades crossed and pressed against her neck – and yet she remains proud, her gaze cool, a hint of disdain to the curl of her lips. She has always looked like this when she knelt before Enfys and made her come undone with her fingers and her cunning tongue.

“Do it,” she demands. “Let’s not waste our time.”

She had spoken sweetly once, demurred and coaxed, but these days are long since over. The leader of Crimson Dawn does not need to coax.

Enfys Nest’s freckled nose crinkles, then her forehead follows suit. Spending most battles hiding underneath a helmet, she never had to hone a sabacc face. Maybe Qi’ra envies her.

“What…?” she says, and then she yanks the blades back – they leave behind heat in their wake, and the thinnest lines of red caved into Qi’ra’s pale throat. “I won’t play into your hands!”

Qi’ra knows better than to move. “You are sentimental.” There is a scolding undertone to her voice now. Weakness has never appealed to her, for it is an infectious disease.

“I’m not!” Enfys snaps as she slams the blades back into their sheaths at her belt. Both blades and sheaths she has stolen from Qi’ra and made her own. It would have been so poignant to kill her with them. If only she would have the courage to follow through with her threats. “I’m just better than you.”

“So you will let me live?” Qi’ra stands up, slowly, still graceful though her body aches from their fight. She had not gone down quietly or quickly but Enfys had gotten lucky. That’s what fools did. “You tried to kill me. I won’t let it stand.”

Uncertainty flickers over Enfys’ face and there is a part of Qi’ra which wishes to reach for her and tear into her frowning lips until they bleed bright red. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

It’s the first time she has come so close. The first time that death threats and battles ended up only with Qi’ra’s own stolen blades at her throat, no rumpled bed and haphazardly strewn clothing involved to lessen the blow. There can be no excusing it for anything but what it was.

Qi’ra’s face softens. “You shouldn’t spare me,” she says as she reaches up to nudge loosened hairpins back into place. “One of these days your honor is going to kill you.”

“One day it will,” Enfys agrees between gritted teeth. “But your lack of honor will kill you first.”

She gives her one last lingering look before she turns on her heel and walks away. She doesn’t turn back.

Qi’ra stands in front of the mirror to put her hair back into place and rearrange the collar of her dress until it hides the bruises.

She doesn’t call security. Maybe this is her showing honor where Enfys had accused her of having none – but deep down she knows the truth: Sentiment has already infected her.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] The Meaning of Mercy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16042688) by [Artemis1000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis1000/pseuds/Artemis1000), [reena_jenkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reena_jenkins/pseuds/reena_jenkins)




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